ISRA: Gun Control Makes Cities Dangerous Places to Live To: City and State Desk

Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association, 815-635-3198;

http://www.isra.org

CHICAGO, June 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

Crime statistics released Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggest strongly that tough gun control laws do little to curb violent crime.

According to the latest FBI Uniform Crime Reports, the U.S. murder rate jumped 3.1 percent while forcible rapes inched up 0.2 percent. Overall, the U.S. crime rate climbed 2 percent.

Interestingly enough, cities having strict gun control laws saw their respective crime rates jump well in excess of the national average. For example:

-- In Boston, where the state legislature recently imposed the most oppressive gun laws in the nation, the murder rate went up a whopping 67 percent in 2001. Likewise, the rate of forcible rapes went up 11 percent.

-- Buffalo, NY, also saw a 67 percent increase in its murder rate and a 30 percent increase in its forcible rape rate in 2001. New York politicians routinely boast about having some of the toughest state gun control laws in the country.

-- Chicago not only outpaced the national average by posting a 5 percent increase in its murder rate, but the city remains the odds-on favorite to capture the title of "Nation's Murder Capitol." In Chicago, it's illegal for citizens to own defensive handguns. The city's mayor, Richie Daley, is currently on a personal crusade to ban civilian firearm ownership nationwide.

-- Hartford, Conn., suffered a 47 percent increase in its murder rate and a 21 percent increase in its rape rate for 2001. The Connecticut state legislature is busy competing with Massachusetts for the title of being the least-friendly state to law-abiding gun owners.

-- St. Louis, Mo., prides itself as being responsible for the defeat of a recent statewide referendum that would have allowed law-abiding citizens to carry defensive firearms. For 2001, St. Louis saw a 19 percent increase in its murder rate and a 7 percent jump in rapes.

On the flip side, the gun control movement has long criticized Florida for having "lax" gun control laws -- including concealed carry. But, unlike cities in the "gun control belt," Miami's murder and rape rates remained stable for 2001.

"The gun control movement continues to claim that banning civilian firearm ownership is the key to eliminating violent crime," commented ISRA president Richard Pearson. "These latest FBI figures refute that claim. In places where law-abiding gun owners are severely restricted, murders and rapes went way up. In places where law-abiding citizens are allowed to defend themselves, murders and rapes remained relatively stable."

"The bottom line is that gun control makes raping, robbing and murdering much easier," continued Pearson. "Therefore, people who oppose concealed carry are, for all practical purposes, accessories to the assault, rape, and murder of defenseless citizens. People who propose raising FOID card fees are essentially setting poor people up for slaughter. People who advocate firearm "waiting periods" are leaving battered women defenseless against abusive males. And anyone claiming that gun control makes our streets safer is either greatly misinformed, or just a liar."

------

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful, and responsible firearms ownership. For nearly a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois gun owners.

Ironically, the commie-antigun Violence Policy Center said the same thing months ago!

VPC, though, analyzed child gun deaths by state - and concluded that a state's gun laws had no impact on child gun deaths in a state. It noted specifically that antigun states like Maryland and Illinois had extremely-high child gun death rates.

What VPC wouldn't touch was the - clear - correlation between the racial demographics of a state (or at least to what extent it had dominant failed black inner cities) and child gun death rates.

Nope. Having lived (briefly) in NYC I saw the impact of disarming citizens. Many were clearly afraid while on the street, especially after dark and away from crowds. The gouls had free-reign and were openly aggressive "panhandling" which is street-level "protection" and intimidation, if you will.

You have two options: arm yourself (anyway) and go where you want or give the streets over to the thugs. Your choice.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.